Clip for holding a release lever of a vehicle latch during shipping

ABSTRACT

A clip and a vehicle latch is provided for properly positioning an operational lever of the latch. The latch has a housing with an aperture. The clip is mounted on the lever. The clip has a base portion hingedly connected to a top portion and pivots between a closed condition and an open condition. The top portion has a hook that engages the aperture of the housing when the lever is in a predetermined position and when the top portion is in the open condition. The clip properly positions the lever for properly connecting the lever to a rod to operatively connect the latch to a release handle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a clip for holding a lever of a vehicle latch,in particular a release lever, during shipping and installation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vehicle latches generally comprise a housing, a ratchet, a pawl, aninside release lever, an outside release lever, an inside locking lever,and an outside locking lever. The various levers are operably coupled tothe pawl to effect the various functions of the latch. Examples oftypical latches are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,929,007 and 6,254,148.

Each of the various levers are operably connected, typically via aBowden cable or rigid rod, to a respective handle or lever. A Bowdenwire can be adjusted after the lever is installed. However, a rigid rodcannot be adjusted after the clip connecting the release lever to therod has been closed. If the release lever is not in the correct positionfor installation, the attachment of the release lever with the clip willleave the release lever in a less than an optimum position. If therelease lever is unable to return to the designed rest or readyposition, the release lever may block or prevent the locking lever fromfreely moving preventing the latch from fully locking or unlocking.

In current production latches for Volkswagen and Audi, the latch isprovided with a spring that biases the release lever to the designedrest or ready position to ensure that the latch can be properlyinstalled. Once the latch is installed and attached to the rigid rod tooperably connect the release lever to the outside handle, the spring isdisengaged from the release lever, allowing normal operation of thelatch. The spring can be re-engaged for re-installation after service;However, in normal operation, the spring provides no useful function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disadvantages of the prior art may be overcome by providing a latchhaving at least one release lever that is operably connectable to ahandle. The lever has an aperture for receiving a folding clip having afold-over portion. The latch has a housing configured to receive thefold-over portion of the clip to hold the clip and the lever in the“ready” position during shipping and installation.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a clip and avehicle latch. The latch has a housing with an aperture. The clip ismounted on a lever. The clip has a base portion hingedly connected to atop portion and the top portion pivots between a closed condition and anopen condition. The top portion has a hook that engages the aperture ofthe housing when the lever is in a predetermined position and when thetop portion is in the open condition. The clip positions the lever forproperly connecting the lever to a rod to operatively connect the latchto a release handle.

According to another aspect of the invention, a clip and a vehicle latchare provided. The latch includes a housing and at least one leverextending from the housing. The housing includes a first part of adetent mechanism. The clip is mounted on the lever and includes a topportion hingedly connected to a bottom portion. The top portion pivotsso as to move between a closed condition and an open condition. The topportion of the clip includes a second, mating part of the detentmechanism engageable with the first part of the detent mechanism whenthe top portion is in the open condition, thus locating the lever in apredetermined position to be able to connect the latch to a releasehandle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In drawings that illustrate embodiments of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of clip and latch assembly according to thepreferred embodiment, installed on a rigid rod;

FIG. 2 is perspective view of the top portion of the clip of theembodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom portion of the clip of FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the clipin the open, shipping and installation condition; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the rodbeing applied to the clip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a clip 10 and latch 12 of the present invention,mounted to a rigid rod 14. Clip 10 is mounted on a lever 16 of the latch12. Typically, latch 12 can have 4 levers, an inside and outside lockinglever and an inside and outside release lever. Although the inventioncould be applied to any of these levers, the invention is preferablyapplied to the outside release lever for an operative connection to anoutside door handle.

Latch 12 can be of any conventional construction and design. The housing18 of the latch has a number of openings, the lever 16 extending fromone of these openings. Proximate to the location of the lever, thehousing 18 is configured to releasably receive an upper portion of clip10. In the preferred embodiment, the housing has at least one aperture20, 22 and 24. Apertures 20 and 24 are locking apertures. The lead orentry portions 26, 28 of the apertures are tapered. Aperture 22 is aguide aperture with the lead or entry portion open.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the clip 10 is illustrated in greaterdetail. The clip is generally of the “Mazda” style clip that is widelyutilized in the automotive industry for attaching rigid rods to latchassemblies. Clips of this type are more particularly described in WO00/49254.

The clip 10 has a top portion 30 comprising a main body 32. The innerface of the body 32 has a series of ridges 34 on an arcuate surface. Ahook 36 extends from the body 32. The front face of the body has guidewalls 38 and a detent 40. The rear face of the body 32 has locking hooks42, 44 and a guide hook 46 (FIG. 1) that extend outwardly and arcuatelytherefrom. The locking hooks 42, 44, each has a detent 48, 50.

Referring to FIG. 3, a base portion 52 is illustrated. The base portionhas a mount portion 54. The mount portion 54 is configured to engagewith an aperture on lever 16 to be secured thereto. Mount portion 54optionally has a detent 56 to engage a corresponding cavity formed inthe underside of lever 16 and thereby orient the clip 10 relative to thehousing 18.

The base portion 52 has a body 58. The body 58 has a channel 60 with aseries of serrations or ridges. The front face of the body 58 has a hook62, sized to fit between walls 38 of top portion 30. The hook 62 has adetent or barb 64 that engages detent 40. The rear face of body 58 hasan axle 66.

Hook 36 engages axle 66 for pivotal movement about the axle 66. Ridges34 cooperates with channel 60 to lockingly engage with threads 68 of rod14 positioning the clip 10 therealong.

Apertures 20, 22, 24 are located and spaced on the housing 18 such thatthe hooks 44, 46, 48 will respectively engage the apertures and alsoposition the lever 16 in the desired location for proper connection tothe rod 14 and proper operation of the latch 12.

Referring to FIG. 4, the clip 10 and latch 12 are illustrated in theshipping condition. The clip 10 is installed on the lever 16 in a knownand conventional manner. The clip 10 is opened by rotating top portion30 and the hooks 42, 44, 46 are inserted into the respective apertures20, 22, 24 until the detents 48, 50 engage the underside of the housing18 in a snap fit, locking the top portion 30 in the open position. Hook46 guides the opening of the top portion 30 and holds the clip 10 andlever 16 in the desired installation position.

Referring to FIG. 5, the rod 14 is applied to the channel 60 after theopposite end of the rod 14 is attached to the release handle assembly.Once the rod 14 is properly positioned, the top portion 30 is rotated tothe closed position by pulling the locking hooks 44, 48 from theapertures 20, 24 overcoming the bias of the locking hooks 44, 48. Thetop portion 30 is rotated until the detent 40 engages and locks to hook62, securely locking the rod 14 within the clip 10 and ultimately lever16.

The present invention insures that the rod 14 is properly installedrelative to the latch 12. If the latch, release handle or rod 14 arerequired to be serviced, the clip 10 is opened and the hooks 44, 46, 48are re-inserted into the apertures 20, 22, 24 to properly position thelever 16 relative to the latch 12.

It will be appreciated that the detent mechanism shown for removeablylocking the top portion of the clip to the housing may be varied fromthe specific embodiment shown in the drawings. For example, the malepart of the detent mechanism may be located on the housing and thefemale part of the detent mechanism may be located on the top portion ofthe clip. Different interconnect profiles may also be used in thealternative. Similarly, although various preferred embodiments of theinvention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art that many other variations may be made to thepreferred embodiments without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

1. In combination, a clip and a vehicle latch, a) said latch comprisinga housing and at least one lever extending from the housing, saidhousing having an aperture, b) said clip mounted on said lever, saidclip comprising a base portion hingedly connected to a top portion andpivotal to move between a closed condition and an open condition, saidtop portion having a hook that engages the aperture of the housing whenthe lever is in a predetermined position and when the top portion is inthe open condition, said clip positioning the lever for operativeconnection of the latch to a release handle.
 2. A combination accordingto claim 1, wherein said hook functions to guide the movement of saidtop portion into said aperture.
 3. A combination according to claim 1,wherein said hook includes a barb that composes a first part of a detentmechanism and said aperture includes a detent which composes a secondpart of said detent mechanism.
 4. A combination according to claim 2,including at least a second hook on said top portion and a secondaperture in said housing, said second hook including a barb thatcomposes a first part of a detent mechanism and said second apertureincluding a detent which composes a second part of said detentmechanism.
 5. In combination, a clip and a vehicle latch, a) said latchcomprising a housing and at least one lever extending from the housing,said housing having a first part of a detent mechanism, b) said clipbeing mounted on said lever, said clip comprising a top portion hingedlyconnected to a bottom portion, said top portion being pivotal to movebetween a closed condition and an open condition, said top portionhaving a second, mating part of the detent mechanism engageable with thefirst part of the detent mechanism when said top portion is in the opencondition, thereby locating the lever in a predetermined position.
 6. Acombination according to claim 5, wherein one of the first and secondparts of the detent mechanism is a male part and the other part is afemale part.